'Legend No. 17' Wins Golden Eagle as the Best Russian Movie

Alexander Veledinsky was hailed as the best director.

MOSCOW – The sports biopic Legenda Nomer Semnadtsat (Legend No. 17), directed by Nikolai Lebedev, was awarded as last year's best Russian movie at the Golden Eagles ceremony held at Moscow’s film studio Mosfilm on Jan. 30.

Legend No. 17, centered on Valery Kharlamov, a legendary 1970s hockey player, scooped 11 Golden Eagle nominations and collected six awards. The movie's writers Mikhail Mestetsky and Nikolai Kulikov picked up the best screenplay award, Nina Usatova was awarded as the best actress in a supporting role and Vladimir Menshov as the best supporting actor. The best score and best editing awards also went to Legend No. 17.

The award ceremony's other major winner was Geograf Globus Propil (The Geographer Drank His Globe Away), which collected the best film award at Russia's main national film festival Kinotavr last June. At the Eagles, The Geographer scooped six nominations and three wins. Golden Eagles went to director Alexander Veledinsky and the movie's leads Konstantin Khabensky and Yelena Lyadova.

Russia's all-time local box-office champion, Fyodor Bondarchuk'sStalingrad, won four statuettes. Maxim Osadchy was hailed as the best cinematographer, while the film was also awarded for the best production design, best costumes and best sound.

Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, distributed in Russia by Karo Premier, was awarded as the best foreign film released in Russia, while two other Karo releases, The Great Gatsby and Argo, scooped nominations.